Jack got ready for his shift at the clinic and wrote down directions to his apartment for the following day. He hadn’t left yet and already I was missing him, not knowing what I would do with myself for the time we would be apart.
I wished him luck on his shift, hoping that nothing too serious would come across his path. He shrugged. “Well, even in utopian societies, it seems that emergencies are bound to happen. People are still people, after all, kid.”
I smiled at his pragmatism. He kissed me goodbye, and I was alone again. I looked around the apartment and decided to arrange the new items we’d bought, pleased to see the place looking a little warmer. I commanded the window to open and stood looking out at the city again, and wondered if this would ever feel like home. But with Jack here, it would surely be a lot easier to feel grounded.
I looked up at the sky, which was getting dark, and wondered about the Travelers who lived up there. Would I be able to see their craft, which acted as a satellite orbiting the planet? I didn’t know if I would be willing to face that reality just yet. I was a scientist, sure. But I was also a person who had lived in a world where that kind of thing was only speculated about. And here, in this world, it was a part of everyone’s lives.
I turned from the window and set about making some food. If there was anything I could thank this alien race for, it was a resilient metabolism that seemed to be able to support fatty foods with no problems whatsoever. I ate till I was bursting—an entire pizza, overjoyed that this classic Italian dish was still around. I didn’t think I’d want to live in a world without pizza.
I decided to try and watch the television, and see what kind of programming they had around here. I landed on a channel that showed old movies from before my own generation, deciding against the slick news shows that, much like the ones in my previous life, seemed to air twenty-four hours a day in Origin, all of them sponsored by the Facility.
I was missing Jack acutely by the time I went to bed, and tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough. I wondered if he was thinking about me, too, and this time I didn’t chide myself for thinking and acting like a teenage girl with a high school crush. We’d been given a second chance, and I wasn’t going to waste a moment on my silly hang-ups and self-consciousness. I was washed and in bed, looking at a pot we had bought earlier that day, when I fell asleep easily.
I awoke the next morning to actual sunlight slanting in across my face, and I realized I had left the window in open mode. I luxuriated in the warmth of it, looking forward to seeing Jack. I felt a slight sinking in my stomach when I remembered I’d be starting work soon, and being apart from Jack frightened me. Shaking off the feeling, I climbed out of bed and looked around, sensing the lack of a pet’s presence in this apartment. It was painful to think of Buddy, and I wondered who had taken care of him after my death. I stopped myself before I could grow sad. These were all thoughts that wouldn’t serve any useful purpose, I told myself. I made my way to the bathroom to go through my morning regimen, forcing myself to think only of Jack. I had reassured myself I was looking respectable and set about making coffee when I heard a knock on my door. I ordered it to open and saw Adam standing there looking a bit disheveled.
“Hey. I was just on my way to work and wanted to check on you. It’s kind of my job to make sure you have everything you need….”
I felt a little guilty, having not checked in with Adam in a day. I smiled at him and explained I’d been spending time with my “old friend” and we had been able to fend for ourselves. I sensed Adam was curious about Jack, probably wondering who exactly he was and where he worked. But I kept my demeanor a little standoffish, so as not to invite too many questions. I was all too aware that this new world would see Jack and me as the weird clones who were hooking up, and I wasn’t looking forward to that scrutiny. Remembering Anabelle’s warning not to trust the Facility, I had to wonder if Adam would be reporting on my activities, even though he appeared to rebel against their seemingly limited authority.
I hurried Adam out the door and, after gulping down some coffee, quickly breezed through the lobby on my way to the train. Jack would have gotten off his shift an hour ago, I thought, and, although I knew he’d be exhausted, I didn’t want to wait any longer to see him. I’d make him breakfast and let him nap. My head in the clouds, I barely noticed the morning rush of people making their way to their jobs. I’d have to be joining them soon enough, but for now I’d just enjoy this brief time off. The sky was overcast and the air was humid, and I was again reminded that this city was in the heart of a rain forest, although I had yet to see any of it.
I took the proper train to Jack’s neighborhood, which wasn’t too far from my own, and followed his directions to his building. The exterior was identical to mine, and I looked forward to seeing what the lobby had to offer. I wasn’t disappointed: here there was a greenhouse of tropical flowers. I didn’t notice any wildlife in it, but the plant life was stunning. I didn’t linger over it, though. I made my way briskly to the elevator banks and practically bounced from foot to foot waiting impatiently for the car to take me to Jack’s floor. Once there, I rushed down the hallway to his door and rapped a little too loudly on it. My stomach was full of butterflies again, but I had resigned myself to feeling like this whenever I was about to see him. Jack answered the door looking slightly rumpled, with dark circles under his eyes, and I immediately went into mothering mode. But he was intent on making sure I felt welcome at his apartment, and we stood in his entranceway for several minutes greeting one another.
I broke away to scold him. “You need to get back into bed right away, mister! I’ll make some food. Go! Go rest!”
As I was preparing some cereal, I saw that his apartment was very similar to mine, but he’d made it homier. And it was definitely the home of a bachelor and a busy doctor, with clothes strewn over the chairs and some dirty dishes waiting to be put in the automatic washer. I admired a Picasso print on his wall, and set about picking clothes up off the floor while he showered. He exited the shower smelling fresh and irresistible, but I forced him to sit and eat before ushering him toward his bed. I lay down with him, and we discussed the shift he had just completed. He was concerned, he said, because a young woman had come in from somewhere out in the jungle describing some kind of animal attack.
“There are people who live outside the city? Out in the rainforest?” I asked incredulously.
He nodded. “Not many, but there are small villages out there. They’re not like what we used to see; they have all the amenities and technology they need to make their lives very comfortable, but some people prefer the countryside to the city life.”
I nodded, understanding perfectly. People were still people, I thought to myself again. And the city wasn’t always ideal for everyone.
But an animal attack? “Around here there’s—what? Big cats? Was it something like that?”
He shook his head, and seemed as perplexed as I was. “She didn’t say, she was really hysterical. She had some scratches, but I think they were from someone else who had been attacked. It wasn’t easy to determine what happened; she was in shock. Suffice it to say, it was a busy night.”
I could tell he was exhausted, so I shushed him and waited for him to fall asleep. He mumbled something about me promising not to leave, and I assured him I wouldn’t. I was wide awake, though, so once he was snoring softly I went out to his living room. I’d waste time watching the television. One of the Facility-sponsored news stations was covering some sort of parade taking place in a number of cities around the world. I was fascinated at what I was seeing: All the continents I had known in my past life had been restored to health, and huge, sprawling cities like the one we were in had been built all over them. And this week there was some celebration of what the Travelers had done for the people of Earth. I watched closely, wondering if any of these Travelers would actually show up and be broadcast for the world to see, but, as far as I could tell, they never showed themselves to anyone. I looked at the faces of the revelers and listened to their interviews, and, other than that youthful glow and general look of well-being, they didn’t appear to be any different from the people of my time. But the cultures were markedly changed. There were no overtones of political or religious influence in their celebration. I saw no worries about war, poverty, or illness. Was this planet truly a utopia after so many millennia of endless strife? It was hard to believe, and even more difficult to accept as a truth. But here it was, right in front of me on a projected screen. I sat for several hours, observing what was going on around the planet.
I was still entranced when Jack came in and wrapped his arms around my neck, announcing, “I’ve slept enough and can no longer bear to be apart from you!”
I laughed at this cheesy statement, and we decided to take a trip around the city so that I could become better acquainted with the neighborhoods. I was once again grateful to have Jack there with me, to ease my transition.
We took several different trains that created a loop around the city, and I realized the general landscape was in the shape of an oval. One thing I noted was the lack of a police presence. Jack explained that there were Obedience Officers, a sort of benign police force that worked as an offshoot of the Facility. But it appeared that violence was a thing of the past. People had everything they needed, and, because of their general state of well-being, there wasn’t as much of an urge to fight each other. The train eventually arrived at a station Jack decided was the proper one, and I saw we had ended up on a trail like the one I had taken a tumble on. So, naturally, I challenged Jack to a race.
“You’re nuts Mina, your leg was just injured.”
“It’s fine, I don’t feel a thing anymore. Are you trying to find an excuse for not racing me?”
“You’re not the only one with a new body, you know. Mine isn’t chopped liver.”
After some cajoling, he finally acquiesced to my challenge, and we began to run. We were like a pair of gazelles along the wooded path. We fell into a steady rhythm and enjoyed the silence between us. When we finally stopped we found a bench and sat with our hands entwined, watching other people pass. We barely spoke, just listened to the birds and insects that surrounded us. I rested my head on his shoulder and wished we didn’t have to move, didn’t have to work. That every day could be this free of worry.
I broke the comfortable silence. “I’m worried my team won’t accept me.”
“Why do you say that?” He began to twine a lock of my hair in his hand.
“I’m probably the only clone. They might think I’m intruding on the work they’ve already established.”
“I had no problems fitting in at the clinic,” he said, but that wasn’t surprising. He made friends with no effort. We were both gazing up at the sky, the blue unmarred by any clouds.
“Do you think we’ll get to meet other clones here in the city? Meet up for a support group or something like that?” I quipped softly.
Jack thought for a moment before responding. “We’re rare enough, and spread out over the city. You and I coming together was a miracle, as I said. But I also think the Facility keeps us all busy in our respective jobs, and doesn’t really want us mingling. That’s the impression I got, anyway.”
He looked back up at the sky, his eyes searching the expanse. “You know, when I was in the Facility, Kevin told me the Travelers didn’t have to come very far. I guess they were practically next-door neighbors all this time, watching us.”
I followed his train of thought easily, leaving my worry over my job at the back of my mind. “If they went to all this effort”—I gestured at the pastoral scene surrounding us—“maybe they truly do mean well. And my job, your job—well, maybe we truly are essential to the health of the planet.”
“Whatever the reasons, I’m glad we’re here, together.”
He had moved from twirling my hair to stroking it, and we sat that way for a while. I didn’t think anyone would blame me for not wanting this moment to ever end.